Devil’s Bridge

Norwegians are not given to any kind of formalities. No titles, all first names. If I bump into the prime minister on the street, I’ll probably say ‘Hei, Jens’. That informality and egalitarianism is something I value highly. But occasionally, something is missing. Graduation is one such occasion: whether you’ve finished high school or have gotten a PhD, there’s no ceremony, no gold embossed diploma in a leather cover, just an ordinary piece of A4 paper in the post box. In Aberystwyth (and probably the rest of the world), it’s a different story: gowns and hoods, academic processions, a graduation ball even – 4 whole days of ceremonies. In July, we’re going to Aberystwyth for Alex’s graduation. It’s 10 months since she finished, but as there is only one ceremony a year, this is it. And what does it matter if it’s late – it’ll be fun! Meanwhile, I’ve asked Alex to tell us about Aber’s legendary Devil’s Bridge.

Devil’s Bridge

Pontafyrnach, the bridge over the River Mynach, is a funny place. It’s enchanting and eerie, and an absolute must if you’re in the Aberystwyth area. There are actually three bridges, one on top of the other.

Not unexpectedly, summer is the best – and easiest – time to visit. The Vale of Rheidol steam train travels from Aberystwyth to Devil’s Bridge from Easter until the end of October (adult return fares £14), and is a gorgeous journey. The train takes about one hour (with a brief stop halfway to refill coal). You can sit out in the open air or in a closed carriage. Either way, it’s a scenic and very enjoyable ride.

Scenic train views

At Devil’s Bridge, there’s a small hotel and a couple of nondescript diners; that’s about it. The hotel was built in the last century to accommodate all the tourists who came to see the bridges, and has a very cosy country-feel to it. Great place to stop for sandwiches after the nature walk!

You can see the bridges from the road, but the best way to see the surrounding woodlands and the wonderful bridges is to do the one-hour nature trail. Sensible shoes, please!

Walking the nature trail, you will see:

Friendly birds

Ruins of Iron Age fortresses

Robber’s Cave (post coming up)

Pretty waterfalls

‘Jacob’s Ladder’ – a set of very steep stairs leading down into the valley

And of course the three bridges. (The top one is out of view, it was covered up for maintenance work when we were there)

So why is it called Devil’s Bridge?

There are several legends, but the most popular one goes as follows:

Many centuries ago, an old woman was walking in the woods, looking for her cow. Seeing it on the other side of a deep ravine, she had no way to retrieve it. Suddenly the Devil appeared, and told her he could build a bridge so she could go get it.

In return, he wanted the first soul that crossed the bridge. The Devil was sneaky, thinking he’d get the old woman’s soul, but she was too clever for him.

The next morning, the bridge was built. The old woman came to have a look, then threw a piece of bread onto the bridge. Her dog ran to get it, thereby becoming the first soul to cross the bridge. The Devil was furious, because he didn’t want the dog. He disappeared in a rage and has never again been seen in Wales.

The bottom bridge, supposedly the Devil’s work, was actually built in 1070 – 1200 by monks of the Strata Florida Abbey (now in ruins). The second bridge was built in 1753, and the last one, an iron bridge, in 1901.

It’s all water under the bridge now anyway…

Alexandra Redisch is a citizen of the world, as Ibsen’s Peer Gynt said, but hails from Norway. She’s a published short story author, old-fashioned mystery fanatic, avid traveller and intense tea drinker. Alex has a BSc in psychology and an MA in creative writing.
She is currently working on a book about the ‘Germany students’, who were taken by force from the University of Oslo in November 1943, then brought to Germany. A few were medical students in the last half hour of their last exam. Alex’ s grandfather was one of these students.

56 Responses to “Devil’s Bridge”

Wow, too much to comment on here. First of all, love that Norway isn’t big on titles but second of all, it’s great that you’re getting to enjoy a bit of ceremony at Alex’s graduation in Wales. We all love a bit of celebration once in a while. Thirdly, I’d love to read Alex’s book about the ‘Germany students’ when it’s finished. So much we don’t know about from the Nazi period.
JuliaTurkey’s For Life recently posted..Fethiye And Istanbul – The Two Loves In Our Life

These are beautiful pictures and what a fascinating story on an off the beaten path place. Congratulations on the graduation and it’s never too late to celebrate a great accomplishment. Love the bird picture.Mary @ The World Is A Book recently posted..Spring at the Los Angeles Arboretum

aww poor dog. The surrounding area leading to Devil’s Bridge look rather beautiful and serene though….hmmm, is it part of the Devil’s temptation plan too…Annie – FootTracker recently posted..Comfort Food Everywhere I Go

Picturesque scenery. Should remind myself to get to Wales one of these days. About ceremonies, at least graduation ceremonies, high school graduation in Germany didn’t have them, until the year of my own graduation in the 70’s. The students wanted one so our school organised one. I think now they do have this kind of ceremony in German high schools, unless they’ve reverted to before the 70’s.Michael recently posted..Hiking A Man Made Mountain

I just climbed a Jacob’s Ladder here this week!
What a fascinating story. The views are breathtaking. I’d love to read more about those German students when Alex is finished.InsideJourneys recently posted..Hiking Jamaica’s Blue Mountain

Congratulations on a winning post. Both the story and the pictures that lead up to the bridges keeping us in suspense. Great combo. Anybody know what kind of bird that is?
In the U.S. we have graduation ceremonies constantly. Would you believe kids graduate from nursery school?
Seriously, Alex, put me on your review list for that book. It sounds like a great one for A Traveler’s Library.Vera Marie Badertscher recently posted..Heard Museum Indian Market 2012

Whoops, somehow I linked the wrong blog and article–although you’re welcome to take a look at the one that is mentioned above. Let’s try again so that you can play a guessing game.Vera Marie Badertscher recently posted..Travel Photo Thursday: Say WHAT??

Great story – I love hearing old legends for how places were named! I was also intrigued by Alex’s bio and the description of the book that she is working on. I had no idea that this had occurred during the war years, although I am certainly not surprised. An interesting topic for research that should make for a fascinating story.Lisa recently posted..My Travel Inspiration

I hadn’t appreciated the informality of Norway or the lack of ceremony. I think graduations are important to mark passages in your life. What an interesting story and what a talented daughter you have. Of course I love the bird picture too.Leigh recently posted..Wonderful Water, Weighty Concerns

Oh, I love enchanting and eerie places. Your photos are fantastic of the bridge and the beautiful area. And thanks for the insight into the informal lifestyle of Norwegians — I didn’t know!Cathy Sweeney recently posted..From the Inside Looking Out

That is awesome – love hearing the historical stories behind landmarks like this!!!
If you would like to link up with another Photo Meme, I host Friday Daydreamin’ every Friday! I’d love for you to join!